The chicken-pox vaccine (varicella vaccine) protects against chickenpox, a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It’s a live, attenuated (weakened) virus vaccine that teaches your immune system to defend against the actual virus.
Who should get it?
✔Healthy, non-immune people
✔Patients from 12 months of age
✔Health workers who have patient contact with
immunocompromised patients.
✔Contacts of immunocompromised patients, particularly where
continuing close contact is unavoidable,
✔Susceptible individuals who have been exposed to varicella
within 3 days of exposure
Doses: 2 recommended for long lasting immunity.
